Rolling container assembly with adjustable storage units

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for transporting articles between working locations. The apparatus includes wheels mounted towards the bottom of the apparatus for rotation about an axis to provide rolling support for the apparatus and a manually engageable pulling handle. The pulling handle and the ground engaging wheels are arranged to enable a user to manually pull the pulling handle generally rearwardly so as to tilt the apparatus rearwardly to a tilted rolling movement position, thereby enabling the user to roll the apparatus to a desired location by pushing or pulling the pulling handle in a desired direction. The apparatus also includes a frame and at least one or more mount structures adjustably connected to the frame. The apparatus further includes a plurality of containers connected to the mount structures, where at least one of the containers are of a different configuration from another one of the containers.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) toU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/238,937, entitled “RollingContainer Assembly With Adjustable Storage Units,” filed on Sep. 1,2009. The content of that application is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rolling container assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rolling tool container assemblies are commonly used to carry a pluralityof working tools to the working location. However, such tool containerassemblies typically do not have adjustable mount structures that enablecontainers to be releasably mounted to the assembly. There is a need inthe art for an improved storage system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for transportingarticles between working locations. The apparatus includes one or morerotatable ground engaging wheels mounted towards the bottom of theapparatus for rotation about an axis to provide rolling support for theapparatus and a manually engageable pulling handle. The pulling handleand the one or more ground engaging wheels are arranged to enable a userto manually pull the pulling handle generally rearwardly so as to tiltthe apparatus rearwardly to a tilted rolling movement position, therebyenabling a user to roll the apparatus to a desired location by pushingor pulling the pulling handle in a desired direction. The apparatus alsoincludes a frame and at least one or more mount structures adjustablyconnected to the frame. The apparatus further includes a plurality ofcontainers connected to the one or more mount structures, where at leastone of the containers are of a different configuration from another oneof the containers.

Another aspect provides an apparatus for transporting articles betweenworking locations. The apparatus includes one or more rotatable groundengaging wheels mounted towards the bottom of the apparatus for rotationabout an axis to provide rolling support for the apparatus. Theapparatus also includes a manually engageable pulling handle. Thepulling handle and the one or more ground engaging wheels are arrangedto enable a user to manually pull the pulling handle generallyrearwardly so as to tilt the apparatus rearwardly to a tilted rollingmovement position, thereby enabling the user to roll the apparatus to adesired location by pushing or pulling the pulling handle in a desireddirection. The apparatus further includes a frame and a plurality ofcontainers releasably connected to the frame, wherein each of thecontainers is independently mounted on the frame to enable removal ofone of the containers without removal of any of the other containers.

These and other aspects of the present invention, as well as the methodsof operation and functions of the related elements of structure and thecombination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become moreapparent upon consideration of the following description and theappended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all ofwhich form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts in the various figures. In one embodiment,the structural components illustrated herein can be considered drawn toscale. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings arefor the purpose of illustration and description only and are not alimitation of the invention. In addition, it should be appreciated thatstructural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein canbe used in other embodiments as well. As used in the specification andin the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include pluralreferents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a rolling storage assembly inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rolling storage assembly withcontainers mounted thereto in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a container being mounted to the rollingstorage assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of a side handle of a container inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a chassis of the rolling containerassembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the chassis of the rolling containerassembly with mount structures folded in the storage position inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective rear view of the rolling storage assembly withcontainers mounted thereto in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a mount structure and attachmentstructure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 a-9 b are partial cross sectional views of a mount structure,mounting bar, and attachment structure in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 10 a-10 b are perspective views of a large container of the rollingstorage assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11 a-11 b are perspective views of a small container of the rollingstorage assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 a-12 b are perspective views of a toolbox container of therolling storage assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 13 shows a front perspective view of the rolling container assemblyin accordance with another embodiment;

FIG. 14 shows a rear perspective view of the rolling container assemblyof the embodiment of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 shows the front perspective view of the chassis of the rollingcontainer assembly of the embodiment of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 shows a detailed view of the mount structure attached to themounting bar in accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 17A-17B show detailed perspective and partial cross-sectionalviews, respectively, of the mount structure in accordance with anembodiment;

FIGS. 18A-18B show detailed perspective and partial cross-sectionalviews, respectively, of the mount structure in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 19 shows a front perspective view of the chassis with folded mountstructures in accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 20A-20B show detailed views of a rear latching structure of therolling container assembly in the unlatched and latched positions,respectively, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 21A-21B show a first container of the rolling container assemblyin accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 22A-22B show a second container of the rolling container assemblyin accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 23A-23B show a third container of the rolling container assemblyin accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the first, second, and third containerslatched directly together in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 25A-25C are detailed views of side latch structures of the firstcontainer in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 26 is a detailed view of a rear latching assembly in accordancewith an embodiment;

FIGS. 27A-27B are detailed views of the rear latching assembly attachedto the chassis in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 28A-28C are detailed views of a docking assembly in accordance withan embodiment; and

FIGS. 29A-29B are partial cross sectional views of a mount structure,mounting bar, and attachment structure in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 10 for transporting articles between workinglocations. The apparatus 10 includes one or more rotatable groundengaging wheels 12 mounted towards the bottom of the apparatus 10 forrotation about an axis to provide rolling support for the apparatus 10and a manually engageable pulling handle 14. The pulling handle 14 andthe one or more ground engaging wheels 12 are arranged to enable a userto manually pull the pulling handle 14 generally rearwardly so as totilt the apparatus 10 rearwardly to a tilted rolling movement position,thereby enabling a user to roll the apparatus 10 to a desired locationby pushing or pulling the pulling handle 14 in a desired direction. Theapparatus 10 may also include a chassis 17, which may comprise a frame16 and at least one or more mount structures 18 adjustably connected tothe frame 16. The apparatus 10 further includes a plurality ofcontainers 20, 22, and 24 (see FIG. 3) releasably connected to the mountstructures 18. In one embodiment, at least two of the containers 20, 22,and 24 are of a different configuration from one another. The pluralityof containers 20, 22, 24 may be releasably connected to the mountstructures 18 such that each of the plurality of containers 20, 22, 24may be independently removable from the mount structures 18 and thechassis 17. That is, each of the plurality of containers 20, 22, and 24may be released and removed from their respective mount structures 18and from the chassis 17 without releasing any of the other containers ofthe plurality of containers 20, 22, and 24. The plurality of containers20, 22, 24 may also be releasably connected to the mount structures 18and arranged such that the containers 20, 22, 24 are spaced from oneanother. In other words, the containers 20, 22, and 24 may be connectedto the mount structures 18 and arranged on the chassis 17 such that eachcontainer 20, 22, 24 does not contact or rest on another container 20,22, and 24. As such, a lower container 20, 22, 24 may be removed fromthe chassis 17 without having to remove a container 20, 22, 24 locatedabove the lower container 20, 22, 24.

It is contemplated that the mount structures 18 are not limited to theconfiguration shown in the illustrated embodiment. The mount structures18 may have any configuration that enables the containers 20, 22, 24 tobe mounted thereon. The mount structures 18 may be, just for example,trays or hooks connected to the frame 16. In some embodiments, the mountstructures 18 may be removed from the frame 16. Alternatively oradditionally, in some embodiments, the mount structures 18 may also beoptionally fixed to the frame 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, the frame may comprise two vertically extendingmounting bars 26. The mounting bars 26 may be configured and arranged toattach the mount structures 18 to the frame 16 using attachmentstructures 28 (see FIG. 7). The attachment structures 28 may also beconfigured and arranged to enable the mount structures 18 to be adjustedon or removed from the frame 16. The attachment structures 28 will bedescribed in detail later. The apparatus 10 may optionally have a rearmember 30 secured to the frame 16. The rear member 30 may be made fromsuitably molded plastic, although it is contemplated that othermaterials known in the art may be used, such as, for example, metal orwood. The rear member 30 may be formed with ribs 29 (see FIG. 5) thatare deployed crosswise with respect to one another such that diamond andtriangular shapes are formed. In this embodiment, the rear member 30includes legs 32 (four are shown in FIG. 6) and a base portion 34. Thelegs 32 may be constructed and arranged to extend from the base portion34 and attach to the mounting bars 26 of the frame 16. The base portion34 may have recesses 35 (see FIG. 6) formed on the upper and lowerhalves of the base portion 34. The legs 32 may have recesses which mayhold the mounting bars 26 therein. It is contemplated that the legs 32may be attached to the mounting bars 26 using other attachmentmechanisms, such as adhesive bonding, pins, clamps, screws, fasteners,or other attachment mechanisms known in the art. In this embodiment, themount structures 18 extend forwardly of the mounting bars 26 to enablethe containers 20, 22, or 24 to be mounted to the chassis 17. Themounting bars 26 may be made of metal, plastic, wood, or other materialsknown in the art. The containers 20, 22, and 24 may be made fromplastic, although it is contemplated that other materials known in theart may be used, such as, for example, metal or wood, or a combinationthereof.

As shown in FIG. 1, the handle 14 may be a cylindrical rod extendingbetween handle attachment members 36 on each side. The handle attachmentmembers 36 are used to attach the handle 14 to the frame 16 of thechassis 17. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the L-shaped handleattachment members 36 has a main portion 38 and a ledge 40, and thehandle 14 is horizontally displaced from the mounting bars 14 at adistance equal to the length of the ledge 40. This placement of thehandle 14 relative to the rest of the chassis 17 facilitates access tothe handle 14 and facilitates the pushing and pulling of the handle 14.The handle attachment members 36 may be hollow, thus enabling the handleattachment members 36 to receive the mounting bars 26 on one end (nearthe ledge 40) and the handle 14 on the other end (near the main portion38). The handle 14 may be made of metal, plastic, wood, or othermaterials known in the art. In some embodiments, rubber or otheranti-slip material may be provided on the surface of the handle 14 tofacilitate the grasping of the handle 14. Although the handle 14 shownin FIG. 1 is fixed relative to the chassis 17, it is contemplated thatin some embodiments, the handle 14 may be constructed and arranged to beextendable. It is also contemplated that the handle 14 may have otherconfigurations, shapes, and arrangements. For example, in the embodimentshown in FIG. 7, the handle 14 may be pivotally attached to the chassis17 via pivot pins 41. The handle 14 may be pivoted to a position whereinthe handle 14 is generally perpendicular to the mounting bars 26 tofacilitate the pulling and pushing of the apparatus 10. Alternatively,the handle 14 may be pivoted to the upright position for storage.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ground engaging wheels 12 may be attached to thechassis 17. In other embodiments, the ground engaging wheels 12 may beattached to the container 20, 22, or 24 mounted towards the bottom ofthe apparatus 10. In one embodiment, each of the wheels 12 is a moldedstructure reinforced by a plurality of wheel ribs 42 and each wheel 12is mounted on an end of an elongated axle 44 by two hubs 45 or otherappropriate structure. The axle 44 may be an elongated cylindrical shaftthat is snap fit into rotational engagement with a receiving structureof the container 20, 22, or 24 or the chassis 17 in conventionalfashion. Alternatively, the axle 44 can be mounted to the apparatus 10through a pair of axially aligned through-holes (not shown) formed inthe container 20, 22, 24 or the chassis 17. The wheels 12 may haverubber treads or other anti-slip material provided on the surface toprovide friction with the ground when the apparatus 10 is to be rolledfrom one location to another.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus 10 with three containers20, 22, and 24 mounted to the chassis 17. The containers 20, 22, and 24may have coupling elements that provide releasable connection with themount structures 18. In this embodiment, the coupling elements take theform of pairs of side handles 98, 100, or 102 on each side of thecontainers 20, 22, and 24. The side handles 98, 100, and 102 areconstructed and arranged to clamp or otherwise engage or couple or latchor connect onto the mount structures 18 to enable the containers 20, 22,and 24 to be releasably or removably connected to the chassis 17. Thisembodiment is not intended to be limiting, and it is contemplated thatthe coupling elements may have a variety of configurations, locations,and arrangements in other embodiments. Just for example, in someembodiments, the coupling elements may be separate from the side handles98, 100, and 102. Referring back to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 thetoolbox container 24 is mounted to the mount structures 18 via sidehandles 98. The small container 22 is releasably connected to thestructures 18 via side handles 100. The large container 20 is releasablyconnected to the mount structures 18 via side handles 102. The words“small” and “large” are used here to relatively differentiate among thedifferent containers shown in this embodiment and are not intended to belimiting. Thus, the small container 22 may be equal or larger in sizethan the large container 20 in some embodiments. The arrangement andlocation of the containers on the chassis 17 may vary and may becustomized according to user preferences. The toolbox container 24, thesmall container 22, and the large container 20 will be described indetail later. It is contemplated that the number of mount structures 18may vary, depending on the number of containers that the user would liketo place on the chassis 17. It is also contemplated that differentcombinations of containers may be used. Just for example, there may befour toolbox containers 24 mounted to the chassis 17 or three largecontainers 20 mounted to the chassis 17. The apparatus 10 and thecontainers 20, 22, and 24 are generally rectangular in shape. However,any convenient shape may be used. In some embodiments, the containers20, 22, 24 may be constructed and arranged such that the containers 20,22, 24 may be placed in a stacked relation directly on top of oneanother without the use of the chassis 17.

In other embodiments, a structure different from (or in addition to) thehandles 98, 100, and 102 may be used to latch the containers onto themount structures 26. In one embodiment, a clamp separate from thehandles 98, 100, and 102 may be used to latch the containers 20, 22, and24 to the mount structures 18. In one embodiment, the mount structures18 may include attachment members constructed and arranged to clamp orotherwise engage or couple or latch or connect onto mount structureengaging members on the containers 20, 22, and 24. For example, in oneembodiment, the mount structures 18 may include a latching structure inthe form of a clamp that engages with a portion of the containers 20,22, and 24 to latch the containers 20, 22, and 24 to the mountstructures 18. In one embodiment, the containers 20, 22, and 24 mayinclude hooks to engage with the mount structures 18. In anotherembodiment, multiple mount structure engaging members may be provided oneach of the containers 20, 22, and 24 at various locations such that theposition of the containers 20, 22, 24 on the chassis 17 may be changedby engaging the mount structures 18 with different mount structureengaging members on each of the containers 20, 22, or 24. In yet anotherembodiment, the mount structures 18 may be integrally formed with thehandles 98, 100, and 102 of the containers 20, 22, and 24 such that theposition of the containers 20, 22, 24 on the chassis 17 may be changedby adjusting the mount structures 18 on the frame 16. The mountstructures 18 may optionally be integrally formed with other parts ofthe containers 20, 22, and 24.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the side handle member 100 of the smallcontainer 22. The small container 20 may have an upper depression 92 anda lower depression 94 on each of opposing side walls 60. The sidehandles 100 may be pivotally attached to each of the side walls 60between the upper depression 92 and the lower depression 94. As shown inFIG. 4, the side handle 100 may be attached to the container portion 52using hinges 99 and pins 101, although it is contemplated that snap-fitconnections, fasteners, and other attachment mechanisms may be used. Theside handle 100 may include springs 109 (one is shown in FIG. 4) thatbiases the side handle 100 in the retaining position such that the sidehandle 100 is generally parallel with the side wall 60, as shown in FIG.2. The side handle 100 may be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction toa release position wherein the container 22 may be connected to orremoved from the mount structures 18, as shown in FIG. 3. In the releaseposition, the side handle 100 may be generally perpendicular to the sidewall 60. The side handle 100 may include a gripping portion 104 on anend opposite the end connected to the side wall 60. The gripping portion104 may be constructed and arranged such that the gripping portion 104contacts the surface of the lower depression 94 when the side handle 100is in the retaining position. In this embodiment, the gripping portion104 is made of rubber material with grooves formed therein to facilitatethe grasping of the side handle 100. It is contemplated that the sidehandle 100 may be made of other materials, or may have other shapes orarrangements provided on the surface thereof. A recess 106 may be formedin the side handle 100 to facilitate grasping of the side handle 100. Asshown in FIG. 3, the lower depression 94 may create a ledge 96 thatsurrounds the depression 94. The ledge 96 may include a cutout 103 (seeFIG. 11 a) fanned near the rear wall 60 of the container portion 52. Thecutout 103 may be sized and arranged so that the mount structures 18 mayslide through the cutout 103 to be received in the depression 94 whenthe container 22 is mounted to the chassis 17.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the container 22 is to be mounted to or removedfrom the chassis 17, the user may lift the container 22 by grasping theside handle members 100 of the container 22 so that the side handlemembers 100 are in the release position. The container 22 is thenpositioned such that the mount structures 18 may slide through thecutouts 103 to be received in the lower depressions 94. In thisembodiment, when the container 22 is mounted to the chassis 17, thecontainer 22 is supported by the mount structures 18, and an uppersurface 108 of each mount structure 18 is disposed against an upperportion 110 of the ledge 96 of the container 22. The side handles 100may then be released, whereby the spring 109 snaps the side handles 100pivotally to the retaining position. The mount structures 18 may then beretained between the upper portion 110 of the ledge 96 and the grippingportion 104 of the side handles 100. The other containers, such as thetoolbox container 24 and the large container 20, may be mounted to thechassis 17 in a similar manner. The side handles 98 of the toolboxcontainer 24 and the side handles 102 of the large container 20 may beconstructed and arranged in a similar manner as side handles 100.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the chassis 17 may also include a chassissupport structure or frame 46 providing a generally downwardly facingfixed ground engaging surface, the ground engaging surface being locatedforwardly of said one or more rotatable ground engaging wheels 12 andbeing constructed and arranged to engage the ground. The chassis supportstructure 46 may comprise a middle portion 48 that extends from onemount structure, in this embodiment taking the form of the mounting bar26, to another mount structure; two side portions 50 (one is shown inFIG. 5) that extend generally perpendicularly from the middle portion48; and a front portion 49 (see FIG. 2) constructed and arranged toattach to the two side portions 50 and extend generally parallel to themiddle portion 48. In some embodiments, the supporting frame 46 may havefeet (not shown) attached to the bottom of the support structure 46 andconstructed and arranged to engage the ground. The feet may be made ofrubber or other anti-slip material to provide friction when engaged withthe ground. The chassis support structure 46 may generally be made ofplastic, although it is contemplated that other materials known in theart may be used. It is contemplated that in one embodiment, the chassissupport structure 46 may be a frame including a platform 51 (as shown inFIG. 7). The platform 51 may be used to carry a container 20, 22, 24thereon.

As shown in FIG. 5, the mount structures 18 may be in an extendedposition wherein the mount structures 18 extend generallyperpendicularly from a plane defined by the mounting bars 26 and therear member 30. When the mount structures 18 are in the extendedposition, containers 20, 22, and 24 may be releasably connected to themount structures 18. Alternatively, the mount structures 18 may befolded towards the support structure 26 to a folded position for storageand portability, as shown in FIG. 6. The attachment structures 28 forthe mount structures 18 may be constructed and arranged to allow themount structures 18 to be rotated to the folded position.

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the apparatus 10. In thisembodiment, the apparatus 10 includes the attachment structures 28 foradjustably connecting the two pairs of mount structures 18 b, and 18 cto the frame. In this embodiment, the pair of mount structures 18 a arenot releasably connected to the mounting bars 26 via the attachmentstructures 28, although the mount structures 18 a may be rotated aroundthe mounting bars 26 for storage. In other embodiments, the mountstructures 18 a may be releasably connected to the mounting bars 26using the attachment structures 28. Although wheels 12 are not shown inFIG. 7, it is contemplated that the wheels 12 may be attached to thebottom portion of the chassis 17, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In oneembodiment, there may be side support structures 53 extendingperpendicularly from the rear member 30. The side support structures 53may be constructed and arranged to support the container 20, 22, or 24that is disposed on the platform 51.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the mount structure 18 and attachmentstructure 28 in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. In thisembodiment, the mount structure 18 has strengthening ribs 112 deployedcrosswise relative to one another across the inner surface to provideextra support for the mount structures 18 when the containers 20, 22,and 24 are releasably connected to the mount structures 18. Theattachment portion 114 of the mount structure 18 may include a rotatableconnection that enables the mount structure 18 to be rotated between thefolded position and the extended position. In this embodiment, therotatable connection takes the form of a groove 116 profile formed inthe attachment portion 114 and an insertion ring 118. The groove 116 isconstructed and arranged to receive the insertion ring 118 such that thegroove 116 and the insertion ring 118 may be rotatably connected to oneanother. The insertion ring 118 may be constructed and arranged toremain stationary while the mount structure 18 is rotated between theextended and folded positions. In this embodiment, a recess 122 isformed in the insertion ring 116 and attachment portion 114 of the mountstructure 18, and the recess 122 is constructed and arranged to receivethe mounting bar 26.

As shown in FIG. 8, the attachment structure 28 includes a pull member112 that is constructed and arranged to release the attachment structure28 from the mounting bar 26. The pull member 112 may be connected to anengaging member 124, in this embodiment taking the form of a finger 124,that is constructed and arranged to extend into the recess 122 when thepull member 112 is in a locked position (as shown in FIG. 9 a) whereinthe position of the mount structure 28 on the mounting bar 26 may not beadjusted. The pull member may be pulled to an unlocked position (asshown in FIG. 9 b) wherein the position of the mount structure 28 on themounting bar 26 may be adjusted. The attachment structure 28 may includea tension spring (not shown) that biases the pull member 112 in thelocked position. Bolt nuts 126 may be used to attach the pull member 112to the finger 124.

FIGS. 9 a and 9 b show the operation of the attachment structure 28 inaccordance with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Openings 128 maybe provided along the length of the mounting bars 26 for the placementof the attachment structures 28. The openings 128 may be constructed andarranged to receive the finger 124 when the attachment structure 28 isin the locked position, as shown in FIG. 9 a. To move the attachmentstructure 28 to the unlocked position so that the finger 124 is nolonger in the opening 128, the user may simply pull the pull member 112in a direction away from the mounting bar 26, as shown in FIG. 9 b. Whenthe finger 124 is outside of the opening 128, as shown in FIG. 9 b, theattachment structure 28 may be removed from the mounting bar 26 oradjusted to another position on the mounting bar 26. In this embodiment,the pulling of the pull member 112 away from the mounting bar 26compresses the tension spring within the attachment structure 28. Thetension spring is constructed and arranged to snap the finger 124through the opening 128 when the finger 124 is aligned with the opening128 and the pull member 112 is released. Thus, to lock the mountstructure 18 to a position on the mounting bar 26, the user may simplyalign the finger 124 with an opening 128 and then release the pullmember 112 so that the finger 124 may snap into the opening 128. Theattachment structure 28 may have any construction or configuration, andthe illustrated embodiment is not intended to be limiting.

In one embodiment, the containers 20, 22, and 24 may be constructed suchthat there is a common denominator among the vertical dimensions of thecontainers 20, 22, and 24. In other words, the containers 20, 22, 24 maybe constructed with vertical dimensions having a common denominator. Inone embodiment, the common denominator may be dependent on the spacingbetween the openings 128 on the mounting bar 26. For example, thespacing between each openings 128 may be a selected distance (X), andeach of the containers 20, 22, 24 may have a vertical dimension acertain number (A, B, C) of times more than X, where A, B, C mayrepresent different values. Thus, container 20 may have a verticaldimension of AX, container 22 may have a vertical dimension of BX, andcontainer 24 may have a vertical dimension of CX. Just for example, inone embodiment, the mounting bar 26 has thirty-two openings 128 that arespaced at a distance of 25 mm (where X=25 mm) apart from one another. Inthis embodiment, the container 20 has a vertical distance of 150 mm(where A=6), the container 22 has a vertical dimension of 175 mm (whereB=7), and the container 24 has a vertical dimension of 200 mm (whereC=8). This example is not intended to be limiting and it is contemplatedthat the values of X, A, B, and C may vary in other embodiments. Theconfiguration of the containers 20, 22, and 24 having a commondenominator described above enables optimal arrangement of thecontainers 20, 22, 24 on the chassis. In other words, this configurationenables the user to arrange the containers 20, 22, 24 on the chassis 17a efficiently and with optimal use of space on the mounting bars 26.

As shown in FIG. 10 a, the large container 20 comprises a containerportion 52 and a drawer portion 54 that is constructed and arranged sothat it may be received within the container portion 52. In thisembodiment, the container portion 52 has a top wall or side 56, twoopposing side walls or sides 58, a rear wall or side 140, and a bottomwall or side 62 defining an interior space 63. The drawer portion 54 maybe held inside the interior space 63. The container portion 52 has aforward facing front opening 64 into the interior space 63 that allowsaccess to the drawer portion 54. The top wall 56 of the containerportion 52 may have strengthening ribs (not shown) deployed across theinner surface of the top wall 56 facing the interior space 63. Thestrengthening ribs help support the top wall 56 so that the top wall 56may provide a top working surface for placing and sorting tools orobjects. A container handle 71 may be attached to the top wall 56 tofacilitate the lifting of the container 26. The handle 71 may bepivotally attached to the top wall 56 of the container portion 52 usingpivot pins (not shown), although it is contemplated that otherattachment mechanisms, such as rivets, fasteners, and other attachmentmechanisms known in the art may be used. The container handle 71 may bedisposed within a recess 69 (see FIG. 10 b) formed in the top wall 56when the handle 71 is not in use and may be pivoted to an uprightposition when the handle 71 is in use. Grooves may be formed on thesurface of the container handle 71 or rubber material or other anti-slipmaterial may be provided on at least a portion of the container handle71 to facilitate the grasping of the handle 71. It is contemplated thatin some embodiments, the container handle 71 may be fixed such that thecontainer handle 71 may not be movable from one position to another. Thecontainer portion 52 may generally be made of suitably molded plastic.It is contemplated that other materials may be used, such as, forexample, wood, metal, or other materials known in the art.

Each of the two opposing side walls 140 of the container portion 52 mayinclude an upper depression 61 and a lower depression 65. A cutout 67may be formed in each of the lower depressions 65. As describedpreviously with respect to the small container 22, the cutouts 67 andthe side handles 100 of the large container 20 may be used to releasablyconnect the large container 20 to the mount structures 18 in a similarmanner. The side handles 102 of the large container 20 may beconstructed and arranged in a similar manner as the side handles 100 ofthe small container 22 to enable the large container 20 to be releasablyconnected to the mount structures 18.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 a, the drawer portion 54 has a frontwall or side 66, two opposing side walls 68, a rear wall (not shown),and a bottom wall or side 72 defining an upwardly facing opening 73 (seeFIG. 10 b) into an interior space 75 (see FIG. 10 b). The drawer portion541 ay slide into and out of the container portion 52 between an openposition wherein the contents of the drawer portion 54 may be accessedthrough the upwardly facing opening 73 and a closed position wherein thecontents of the drawer may not be accessed through the upwardly facingopening 73. The drawer portion 54 may be locked to the container portion52 using latches 77 when the drawer portion 54 is in the closedposition. Details of the latches 77 will be described later.

At least portions of the large container 20, such as for example, theside handles 102 and latch 77, may be made of both metal and plastic. Asshown in FIG. 10 b, the drawer portion 54 may slide into and out of thecontainer portion 52 through the front opening 64 of the containerportion 52. The large container 20 may have ball bearing slides 74 thatenable the drawer portion 54 to be slideable relative to the containerportion 52 so that the drawer portion 54 can slide between the closedposition and the open position. When the drawer portion 54 is in theclosed position, the opening 73 is disposed below the top wall 56 of thecontainer portion 52. Each opposing side walls 68 of the drawer portion54 has sliding members 76 of the ball bearing slides 74 located thereon.Their associated sliding members (not shown) are located on innersurfaces of the opposing side walls 58 of the container portion 52. Theball bearing slides 74 may have stop members (not shown) that limit thedistance the drawer portion 54 may be pulled from the container portion52, thus preventing the sliding members 76 from being dislocated fromthe sliding members attached to the container portion 52. It iscontemplated that in other embodiments, other sliding mechanisms may beused instead of the ball bearing slides, such as guides or slide rails.The ball bearing slides may be attached to the drawer portion 54 and thecontainer portion 52 using pins, screws, adhesive bonding, or otherattachment mechanisms known in the art.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 a, the front wall 66 comprises anupper section 78 and a lower section 80, the upper section 78 beingpivotally connected to the lower section 80 using hinges 82. It iscontemplated that other forms of connections may be used, such as pins,fasteners, or other connection mechanisms known in the art. The uppersection 78 and the lower section 80 may be approximately the same size,although it is contemplated that the sizes of the upper section 78 andthe lower section 80 may vary. In this embodiment, the lower section 80remains fixed to the opposing side walls 68 and the bottom wall 72 ofthe drawer portion 54, while the upper section 78 is pivotally connectedto the drawer portion 54 by the hinges 82. The upper section 78 may bepivoted in a downward direction and towards the lower section 80 so thatthe upper section 78 may be “folded down”, as shown in FIG. 10 b. Assuch, a side facing opening 81 (see FIG. 10 b) in the drawer portion 54is exposed and the contents of the drawer portion 54 may be accessedthrough the side facing opening 81 even when the drawer portion 54 is inthe closed position relative to the container portion 52.

The hinges 82 may be located in a connection region 84 defined by aportion of the upper section 78 and a portion of the lower section 80.In this embodiment, a depression 86 (see FIG. 10 a) is formed in theproximate area where the upper section 78 and the lower section 80 areconnected to each other. As shown in FIG. 10 b, when the lower sectionis “folded down”, the depression 86 formed in the upper section 78 ofthe front wall 66 and in the lower section 80 of the front wall 66define a recess 90 that provides a handgrip such that the user caninsert fingers into the recess 90 and use the handgrip to pull thedrawer portion 54 away from the container portion 52 to move the drawerportion 54 to the open position. The user may pull the drawer portion 54away from the container portion 52 by placing fingers into the recess 90and by pulling against the upper section 78 (see FIG. 10 b) near therecess 90 to slide the drawer portion 54 to the open position.Alternatively, the user may pull the drawer portion 54 to the openposition by pulling against the lower section 80 without having to placefingers into the recess 90. Dividers and/or inserts (not shown) mayoptionally be placed into the drawer portion 54 to customize and dividethe interior space 75 of the drawer portion 54.

The top portion 78 of the drawer portion 54 may include a latch handle79. As shown in FIG. 10 a, the latch 77 used to latch the drawer portion54 to the container portion 52 may include a latch protrusion 81disposed on top of the latch handle 79. The latch protrusion 81 may beconstructed and arranged to engage a latch engaging portion (not shown)disposed on the container portion 52 when the drawer portion 54 islocked to the container portion 52. The latch engaging portion may alsobe a protrusion or may be an aperture in which the protrusion 81 isreceived. The latch engaging portion may engage a portion of theprotrusion 81 so that the drawer portion 54 is prevented from beingpulled out of the container portion 52.

When the drawer portion 54 is being unlatched, the latch handle 79 ispulled so as to be pivoted in an upwards direction against the bias ofan internal spring (not shown). The handle 79 may be attached viavarious mechanisms, such as, for example, screws, pins, bolts,fasteners, or any other mechanism or hinges as appreciated by oneskilled in the art. In one embodiment, when the latch handle 79 ispulled upwards against the spring bias, the latch handle 79 pivots andthe latch protrusion 81 of the handle 79 is disengaged from the latchengaging portion. The drawer portion 54 is thus able to be slid to theopen position, as shown in FIG. 10 a. To once again close and lockdrawer portion 54, drawer portion 54 is simply manually slid backtowards the closed position. During this movement, the latch engagingportion may engage a cam surface on the protrusion 81. The latchengaging portion may engage and move the cam surface on the latchprotrusion 81 against the bias of the internal handle spring so as tomove the handle 79 in a pivotal direction (clockwise in FIGS. 10 a)until the protrusion 81 engages with the latch engaging portion,whereupon the handle 62 springs back to the locked configuration withthe latch protrusion 81 engaged to the latch engaging portion.

FIG. 11 a shows an embodiment of the small container 22 of the presentinvention. The small container 22 may comprise a container portion 120,a drawer housing portion 130 (see FIG. 11 b), and drawers 132 a, 132 b(two are shown in this embodiment). The container portion may include atop wall or side 138, two opposing side walls 60, a rear wall or side142, and a bottom wall or side 144 defining an interior space 143 (seeFIG. 11 b). As shown in FIG. 11 b, the drawer housing portion 130 mayslide in and out of the interior space 143 through a front opening 144to the interior space 143. The drawer housing portion may include twoopposing side walls 146, a rear wall (not shown), and a bottom wall 148defining an interior space 150. It is contemplated that in otherembodiments, the number and arrangement of the drawers may vary. Forexample, in one embodiment, there may be three drawers arranged in astacked relation. In another embodiment, there may be three drawersarranged in a horizontal row.

A container handle 121 may be attached to the top wall 138 to facilitatethe lifting of the container 26. The handle 121 may be pivotallyattached to the top wall 138 of the container portion 120 using pivotpins (not shown), although it is contemplated that other attachmentmechanisms, such as rivets, fasteners, and other attachment mechanismsknown in the art may be used. The container handle 121 may be disposedwithin a recess 123 formed in the top wall 138 when the handle 121 isnot in use and may be pivoted to an upright position when the handle 121is in use. Grooves may be formed on the surface of the container handle121 or rubber material or other anti-slip material may be provided on atleast a portion of the container handle 121 to facilitate the graspingof the handle 121.

The top wall 138 of the container portion 120 may have strengtheningribs (not shown) deployed across the inner surface of the top wall 138facing the interior space 143. The strengthening ribs help support thetop wall 120 so that the top wall 138 may provide a top working surfacefor placing and sorting tools or objects. As previously described, thecutouts 103 and the side handles 100 may be used to mount the smallcontainer 22 to the mount structures 18.

As shown in FIG. 11 b, ball bearing slides 134 may be disposed on thedrawer housing portion 130 and the inner surface of the containerportion 120 to enable the drawer housing portion 130 to slide in and outof the container portion 120. Ball bearing slides 136 may also bedisposed on the lower drawers 132 b to enable the drawers to slide inand out of the drawer housing portion 130. The ball bearing slides 134,136 may have stop members (not shown) that limit the distance the drawerhousing portion 130 and the lower drawer 132 b may be pulled from thecontainer portion 52 and the drawer housing portion 130, respectively.It is contemplated that in other embodiments, other sliding mechanismsmay be used instead of the ball bearing slides, such as guides or sliderails. The ball bearing slides 134, 136 may be attached to the drawerhousing portion 130 and the lower drawer 132 b using pins, screws,adhesive bonding, or other attachment mechanisms known in the art.

The upper drawer 132 a may disposed within the drawer housing portion130 such that the contents of the upper drawer 132 a may be accessedwhen the drawer housing portion 130 is pulled out of the containerportion 120 via the ball bearing slides 134, as shown in FIG. 11 b. Inthis embodiment, to access the contents of the lower drawer 132 b, thelower drawer 132 must be pulled out of the drawer housing portion 130via the ball bearing slides 136, as shown in FIG. 11 b. However, thelower drawer 132 b may optionally be pulled to the open position whereinthe contents of the lower drawer 132 b may be accessed even when thedrawer housing portion 130 is not pulled out of the container portion120. None, one, or both of the drawers 132 a, 132 b may optionally be inthe open position at the same time.

Each of the drawers 132 a, 132 b may include a latch handle 152 a, 152b. The latch handles 152 a, 152 b may include latch protrusions 154 a,154 b that may be used to latch the drawer housing portion 130 to thecontainer portion 120 and the lower drawer 152 b to the drawer housingportion 130, respectively. The drawers 132 a, 132 b may be latched tolatch engaging portions (not shown) in the same manner as describedpreviously with respect to the drawer portion 54 of the large container20. Inserts 156 may optionally be placed into the drawers 132 a, 132 b,and the inserts 156 may optionally be divided into various compartments.

As shown in FIG. 12 a, the toolbox container 24 may have a lid 158 and ahandle 160 located on the lid 158. The handle 160 may be pivotallyattached to the lid 158 using pivot pins (not shown), although it iscontemplated that other attachment mechanisms, such as rivets,fasteners, and other attachment mechanisms known in the art may be used.The container handle 160 may be disposed within a recess (not shown)formed in the lid 158 when the handle 160 is not in use and may bepivoted to an upright position when the handle 160 is in use. Groovesmay be formed on the surface of the container handle 160 or rubbermaterial or other anti-slip material may be provided on at least aportion of the container handle 160 to facilitate the grasping of thehandle 160. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the containerhandle 160 may be fixed such that the container handle 160 may not bemovable from one position to another.

As shown in FIG. 12 a, the lid 158 may be pivotally connected to acontainer portion 162. The lid 158 can be latched onto the containerportion 162 of the toolbox container 24 via latches 164. The containerlatches 164 may vary in numbers (there may be one or more) and may bepivotable latches, buckles, or any other latching mechanism as would beappreciated by one skilled in the art. The lid 158 may be pivotallyconnected to the container portion 162 using hinges, pins, screws,fastenings, bolts, or any other connection mechanism as would beappreciated by one skilled in the art. The lid 158 may also be aslide-on lid which is slid on to container portion 162 or a snap-on lidthat is snapped on to the container portion 162. It is contemplated thatthe methods of mounting the lid 158 on to the container portion 162 mayvary and the number of lids 158 may vary. For example, there may be twolids 158 pivotally connected to the container portion 162 wherein eachlid 158 may be opened or closed independently of the other. Thecontainer portion may include two opposing side walls or sides 168, afront wall or side 170, a rear wall or side 172, and a bottom wall orside 174 defining an interior space 175 (see FIG. 12 b). A cutout 176may be formed in each opposing side wall 168. The cutouts 176 and theside handles 98 may be used to releasably connect the toolbox container24 to the mount structures 18 in the same manner described previouslywith respect to the small container 22. The side handles 98 of thetoolbox container 24 may be constructed and arranged in a similar manneras the side handles 100 of the small container 22 to enable the toolboxcontainer 24 to be releasably connected to the mount structures 18.

The latches 164 (or a single latch) of the toolbox container 24 maycomprise latch members 166 that are constructed and arranged to engagewith latch receiving portions (not shown) located on the lid 158. Thelatch members 166 may be pulled to disengage from latch engagingportions of the lid 158 so that the lid 158 may be opened to allowaccess to the contents of the toolbox container 24. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 12 b, the latch members 166 may be pulled upwards in thecounterclockwise direction to engage the latch members 166 with thelatch receiving portions.

As shown in FIG. 12 b, a removable tray 178 having a handle 180 may becarried within the toolbox container 24. The removable tray 178 may beheld within the interior space 175 of the toolbox container 24 and mayoptionally be removed therefrom to be carried separately. A removablecontainer 182 with partitions may also be held in the toolbox container24. The removable container 182 with partitions may be constructed andarranged to hold various kinds of screwdrivers and other tools. In oneembodiment, the width of the removable tray 178 may be two-thirds thewidth of the toolbox container 24. The removable tray 178 and theremovable container 182 may be made of plastic, wood, metal, or othermaterials known in the art, or combinations thereof.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the apparatus 10 a for transportingarticles between working locations. The apparatus 10 a of FIG. 13 hassimilar components as apparatus 10 shown in and described with respectto FIG. 1, and the similar components of apparatus 10 a will be labeledsimilarly as those of apparatus 10, but with an “a” appended thereto.

As shown in FIG. 13, the apparatus 10 a includes the chassis 17 a andthe one or more rotatable ground engaging wheels 12 a mounted toward thebottom of the apparatus 10 a for rotation about an axis to providerolling support for the apparatus 10. The wheels 12 a may be moldedstructure reinforced by a plurality of wheel ribs 42 a and each wheel 12a is mounted on an end of the elongated axle 44 a of the chassis 17 a bytwo hubs 45 a or other appropriate structure. The chassis 17 a alsoincludes the manually engagable handle 14 a that, when used with theground engaging wheels 14, enable the user to manually pull the pullinghandle 14 a generally rearwardly so as to tilt the apparatus 10 arearwardly to a tilted rolling movement position. The handle 14 a may beconsidered to be part of the chassis 17 a or may be a separate componentfrom the chassis 17 a. The chassis 17 a comprises the frame 16 a and theat least one or more mount structures 18 a adjustably connected to theframe 16 a. The frame 16 a also includes the vertically extendingmounting bars 26 that are configured and arranged to attach the mountstructures 18 a to the frame 16 a using the attachment structures 28 a.

The handle 14 a of the embodiment of the apparatus 10 a shown in FIG. 13is connected to the rest of the chassis 17 a via an extending portion198 that extends from a connecting portion 200, which may be connectedto at least a portion of the mounting bar 26 a of the chassis 17 a. Thehandle 14 a, the extending portion 198, and the connecting portion 200may form a handle structure 201 of the apparatus 10 a. The handlestructure 201 may also include a rear portion 208 (see FIG. 14). Anycombination of the extending portion 198, the connecting portion 200,and the handle 14 a may be integrally formed. It should be appreciated,however, that any combination of the extending portion 198, connectingportion 200, and the handle 14 a may be separate pieces.

The chassis 17 a may optionally be provided with a docking assembly 404(see FIG. 28 a). The docking assembly 404 may be used to receive atleast a portion of the handle 14 a of the apparatus 10 a. The basestructure 406 of the docking assembly 404 may be attached to a surface,such as, just for example, a wall of a vehicle. The docking assembly 404may be attached to the surface using bolts, screws, pins, clamps, orother attachment mechanisms. In one embodiment, the bolts or otherattachments may be received in openings 405 provided on the basestructure 406 to attach the docking assembly 404 to the vehicle or othersurfaces. The docking assembly 404 may thus facilitate the transport orstorage of the apparatus 10 a.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 28 a, the docking assembly 404 includesa base structure 406 and a movable structure 408. The base structure 406includes a receiving space 407 constructed and arranged to receive atleast a portion of the movable structure 408. The movable structure 408may be pivotally attached to the base structure 406 using pins, screws,or any other attachment mechanism. The base structure 406 also includesa recess 409 constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion ofthe handle 14 a to retain the handle 14 a therein. The movable structure408 includes a handle portion 410 and a retaining portion 412 (see FIG.28 b). The movable structure 408 may be moved between a closed positionwherein the handle 14 a is prevented from being removed or inserted intothe recess 409 and an open position wherein the handle is permitted tobe removed or inserted into the recess 409. Thus, in the closedposition, the retaining portion 412 of the movable structure 408 blocksthe recess 409 , as shown in FIG. 28 b. In the open position, theretaining portion 412 is removed from the recess 409 and thus does notblock the recess 409. The docking assembly 404 may be moved between theopen and closed positions via the handle portion 410.

It is contemplated that the docking assembly 404 may also include aninternal spring (not shown) constructed and arranged to bias the movablestructure 408 either in the closed position or in the open position. Forexample, in one embodiment where the docking assembly 404 is biased inthe closed position, the user may move the docking assembly 404 to theopen position by pushing or pulling the handle portion 410 upwards untilthe retaining portion 412 is no longer blocking the recess 409, as shownin FIG. 28 c. In such embodiment, the docking assembly 404 may be movedto the closed position by releasing the handle portion 412 such that thebias of the spring moves the movable structure 408 to the closedposition and the retaining portion 412 blocks the recess 409, as shownin FIG. 28 b. In embodiments without the internal spring that biases thedocking assembly 404 in either the closed or open position, the user maysimply push the handle portion 412 downwards to move the dockingassembly 404 to the closed position (shown in FIG. 28 b) or pull thehandle portion 412 upwards to move the docking assembly 404 to the openposition (shown in FIG. 28 c). The docking assembly 404 may alsooptionally be provided with a lock (not shown) that locks the movablestructure 408 either in the closed position or in the open position.

First, second, and third containers 113, 115, and 117 may be releasablymounted to the chassis 17 a. Each of the containers 113, 115, and 117has a pair of side handles 125, 127, 129 that are constructed andarranged to clamp or otherwise engage or couple or latch or connect ontothe mount structures 18 a to enable the containers 113, 115, and 117 tobe releasably connected to the chassis 17 a. The plurality of containers113, 115, and 117 may be releasably connected to the mount structures 18a such that each of the plurality of containers 113, 115, and 117 may beindependently removable from the mount structures 18 a and the chassis17 a. That is, each of the plurality of containers 113, 115, and 117 maybe released and removed from their respective mount structures 18 a andfrom the chassis 17 a without releasing any of the other containers ofthe plurality of containers 113, 115, and 117. The plurality ofcontainers 113, 115, and 117 may also be releasably connected to themount structures 18 a and arranged such that the containers 113, 115,and 117 are spaced from one another. In other words, the containers 113,115, and 117 may be connected to the mount structures 18 a and arrangedon the chassis 17 a such each of the containers 20, 22, 24 does notcontact or rest on another container 113, 115, and 117.

It is contemplated that the mount structures 18 a are not limited to theconfiguration shown in the illustrated embodiment. The mount structures18 a may have any configuration that enables the containers 113, 115,and 117 to be mounted thereon. The mount structures 18 a may be, justfor example, trays or hooks connected to the frame 16 a. In someembodiments, the mount structures 18 a may be removed from the frame 16a. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the mountstructures 18 a may also be optionally fixed to the frame 16 a.

In this embodiment, the third container 117 is mounted to the mountstructures 115 via the side handles 129. The second container 115 isreleasably connected to the structures 18 a via the side handles 127.The first container 113 is releasably connected to the mount structures18 a via the side handles 125. However, as mentioned above, it iscontemplated that the arrangement and location of the containers on thechassis 17 a may vary and may be customized according to userpreferences. The number and size of containers may also vary, and arenot limited to the containers 113, 115, and 117 shown in FIG. 13. Thehandles 125, 127, and 129 may have similar configurations as handles 98,100, and 102, and may be clamped to the mount structures 18 a in asimilar manner.

FIG. 14 shows a rear perspective view of the apparatus 10 a. Theapparatus 10 a may optionally have the rear member 30 a secured to theframe 16 a and constructed and arranged to support the frame 16 a. Therear member 30 a is configured to be connected to the rear portions 208of the handle structure 201. The apparatus 10 a may also include a lowerrear portion 210, which may also be constructed and arranged to supportthe frame 16 a. The lower rear portion 210 may be operatively connectedto the mounting bars 26 a of the chassis 17 a. The lower rear portion210 may also be constructed and arranged to receive the elongated axle44 a on which the wheels 12 a are attached. The lower rear portion 210may be constructed and arranged to receive supporting bars 202 (two areshown in this embodiment). The supporting bars 202 may be connected to arear extending portion 212 of the chassis 17 a. The mounting bars 26 aand the supporting bars 202 may be arranged to extend parallel to oneanother.

In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus 10 a may also include arear latching assembly 203 having a latch bar 204 constructed andarranged to latch the containers 113, 115, and 117 to the chassis 17 awhen the containers 113, 115, 117 are mounted on the mount structures 18a. The latch bar 204 may be configured to extend parallel to thesupporting bars 202. The rear latching assembly 203 may include a latchmember 206. The latch bar 204 may be connected to the latch member 206that is constructed and arranged to move the latch bar 204 from alatched position wherein the latch bar 204 is latched to the containers113, 115, and/or 117 and an unlatched position wherein the latch bar 204is not latched to the containers 113, 115, and/or 117. When the latchbar 204 is in the latched position, the containers 113, 115, and/or 117are prevented from moving forward in the direction of A (away from latchbar 204). When the latch bar 204 is in the unlatched position, thecontainers 113, 115, and/or 117 are permitted to be moved forward awayfrom the latch bar 204 to be removed from the chassis 17 a.

FIG. 15 shows a front perspective view of the chassis 17 a of theapparatus 10 a with the containers 113, 115, and 117 removed. In thisembodiment, the chassis 17 a includes the support structure or platform51 a. The support structure or platform 51 a may be connected to therear extending portion 212 of the chassis 17 a via screws. However, itis contemplated that the support structure 51 a may be connected viapins, snap-fit connections, adhesives, welding, or other attachmentmechanisms. The support structure or platform 51 a may be used tosupport at least one of the containers 113, 115, and 117. It iscontemplated that the support structure or platform 51 may be used withthe chassis 17 to enable the chassis 17 to function as a trolley or ahandcart. It is also contemplated that the support structure or platform51 a may be used with the chassis 17 to support and transport thestacked and connected containers 113, 115, and 117 shown in FIG. 24.

FIG. 16 shows a detailed view of the mount structures 18 a attached tothe mounting bars 26 a of the apparatus 10 a via the attachmentstructures 28 a. The mounting bars 26 a include the openings 128 aprovided along the length thereof. In this embodiment, each attachmentstructure 28 a includes a pivoting portion 214, a receiving portion 216,and an attachment portion 218. The attachment portion 218 is constructedand arranged to attach the attachment structure 28 a to the mounting bar26 a. The pivoting portion 214 and the receiving portion 216 areconstructed and arranged to be attached to an opening 128 a in themounting bars 26 a. The pivoting portion 214 and the receiving portion216 may be generally curved, thus enabling a mounting bar 26 a to bereceived therebetween. In one embodiment, the receiving portion 216includes a screw 220 configured to be received in a receiving region 222of the pivoting portion 214 so as to connect the receiving portion 216and the pivoting portion 214 to retain the mount structure 18 a at aselected location on the mounting bar 26 a. However, it is contemplatedthat the receiving portion 216 and the pivoting portion 214 may beconnected via other connecting mechanisms, such as, just for example,pins, rivets, or fasteners. In this embodiment, the pivoting portion 214is provided with an insertion receiving structure 219 having an opening217 that is constructed and arranged to receive an insertion structure224 (see FIG. 17A), such as a pin, screw, or other attachmentmechanisms. The insertion structure 224 is constructed and arranged tobe inserted into one of the openings 128 of the mounting bar 26 a toretain the mount structure 18 a at a selected position on the mountingbar 26 a.

As shown in FIG. 16, each of the mount structures 18 a includes anelongated protrusion 207 provided thereon. The protrusion 207 may have astop surface 209 provided on an end near the mounting bar 26 a and mayhave a slanted surface 211 on the opposite end. The protrusion 207 maybe constructed and arranged to retain the containers 113, 115, 117 andprevent the containers 113, 115, 117 from being moved forward or in thedirection of A (see FIG. 14) when the side handles 125, 127, 129 of thecontainers 113, 115, 117 are clamped onto the mount structures 18 a. Forexample, the side handles 125, 127, 129 of containers 113, 115, and 117may have a similar construction and arrangement as the side handle 100described above. Thus, the side handles 125, 127, 129 may each have arecess 106 a (see FIG. 13) formed therein. When the containers 113, 115,117 are mounted on the mount structures 18 a, the elongated protrusion207 may be received in the recesses 106 a of the side handles 125, 127,129, as shown in FIG. 13. Accordingly, in this embodiment, when the sidehandles 125, 127, 129 of the containers 113, 115, and 117 are clampedonto the mount structures 18 a, abutment between the stop surface 209and at least a portion of the side handles 125, 127, 129 prevents themovement of the containers 113, 115, 117 in the direction of A, thuspreventing the containers 113, 115, 117 from sliding off of the mountstructures 18 a. In contrast, the slanted surface 211 of the protrusion207 enables the side handles 125, 127, 129 of the containers 113, 115,117 to slide onto the mount structures 18 a without requiring movementof the side handles 125, 127, 129 to the release position. Accordingly,the containers 113, 115, 117 may be pushed onto the mount structures 18a such that the protrusion 207 is retained in the recesses 106 a of theside handles 125, 127, 129.

FIG. 17A illustrates details of an embodiment of the mount structure 18a and the attachment structure 28 a. In this embodiment, the mountstructure 18 a may have an inner surface 221 (see FIG. 17A) and an outersurface 223 (see FIG. 18A). The inner surface 221 of the mount structure18 a may be provided with a plurality of strengthening ribs 225 deployedcrosswise relative to one another.

In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment structure 28 a includesthe insertion structure 224 constructed and arranged to be inserted intoone of the openings 128 of the mounting bar 26 a to retain the mountstructure 18 a at a selected position on the mounting bar 26 a. Thepivoting portion 214 and the receiving portion 216 may be pivotallyconnected to each other via a pivot pin 228. The pivoting portion 214and the receiving portion 216 may thus be pivoted between an openposition wherein the mounting bar 26 a may be, inserted or removed frombetween the pivoting portion 214 and the receiving portion 216 and aclosed position wherein the mounting bar 26 a may not be inserted orremoved from between the pivoting portion 214 and the receiving portion216. The receiving portion 216 may be pivotally attached to the mountstructure 18 a via a pivot pin 230, although it is contemplated thatother structures that enable pivotal or rotational movement may be used.The receiving portion 216 may have a front surface 226 configured toface in a direction away from the rear member 30 a when the receivingportion 216 is attached to the mounting bar 26 a. The attachment portion218 may be configured to attach the receiving portion 216 to the mountstructure 18 a. The attachment portion 218 may be integral with thereceiving portion 216 or may be separately attached to the receivingportion 216.

FIG. 17B illustrates a cross sectional view of the mount structure 18 a.The attachment portion 218 of the attachment structure 28 a may includean internal pin 232, or other structure, that is received in a receivingportion 234 of the mount structure 18 a. The internal pin 232 mayoptionally extend or retract relative to the attachment portion 218 whenthe mount structure 18 a is pivoted between an extended position (seeFIG. 17A) and a folded position (see FIG. 18A). In one embodiment, whenthe mount structures 18 a are in the extended position, the containers113, 115, or 117 may be mounted on the mount structures 18 a. In suchembodiment, when the mount structures 18 a are in the folded position,the containers 113, 115, or 117 may not be mounted thereon. However,moving the mount structures 18 a to the folded position, as shown inFIG. 19, enables easy carrying and storage of the chassis 17 a.

FIG. 18A shows a detailed view of the mount structure 18 a and theattachment structure 28 a in the folded position. In the illustratedembodiment, when the mount structure 18 a is in the folded position, aportion of the inner surface 221 of the mount structure 18 a is in frontof or disposed against the front surface 226 of the receiving portion216 of the attachment structure 28 a. In this embodiment, when the mountstructure 18 a is moved to the folded position, an extension portion 236of the attachment portion 218 of the attachment structure 28 a isconstructed and arranged to stay in place. That is, the extensionportion 236 of the attachment portion 218 does not move with theattachment structure 28 a. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the extensionportion 236 may extend in a direction generally perpendicular to thedirection that the mount structure 18 a is extending when the mountstructure 18 a is in the folded position, as shown in FIG. 18A. In oneembodiment, the extension portion 236 may act as a stop structure thatlimits the further movement of the mount structure 18 a when the mountstructure 18 a is being moved to the extended position.

FIG. 18B shows a cross sectional view of the mount structure 18 a whenthe mount structure 18 a is in the folded position. In this embodiment,the inner surface 221 of the mount structure 18 a is disposed againstthe front surface 226 of the receiving portion 216 of the attachmentstructure 28 a, and the internal pin 232 is received in the receivingregion 234 of the mount structure 18 a. The mount structure 18 a may beattached to the mounting bar 26 a as follows in accordance with anembodiment. The user may select an opening 128 on the mounting bar 26 acorresponding to a desired height of the mount structure 18 a. Thereceiving portion 216 and the pivoting portion 214 may be in the openposition wherein the mounting bar 26 a may be inserted therebetween. Thereceiving portion 216 may be placed against the mounting bar 26 a at thedesired height, as shown in FIG. 16. After the insertion structure 224has been aligned with an opening 128, the pivoting structure 214 maythen be pivoted towards the closed position relative to the receivingportion 216. Accordingly, when the pivoting structure 214 is pivotedtowards the receiving portion 216, the insertion structure 224 isinserted into the insertion receiving structure 219 and into theselected opening 128, as shown in FIG. 29A. In one embodiment, when thereceiving portion 216 and the pivoting portion 214 are in the closedposition, the screw 220 of the receiving portion 216 is received in thereceiving region 222 of the pivoting portion 214. The screw 220 may betightened to retain the attachment structure 28 a at the selectedposition on the mounting bar 26 a.

To detach the mount structure 18 a to the mounting bar 26 a, the screw220 of the receiving portion 216 may be unscrewed from the receivingregion 222 of the pivoting portion 214. The insertion structure 224 mayalso be removed from the opening 128 and the insertion receivingstructure 219, as shown in FIG. 29B. After the screw 220 has beenunscrewed, the pivoting portion 214 may be pivoted towards the openposition relative to the receiving portion 216. Once the receivingportion 216 and the pivoting portion 214 are in the open position, forexample as shown in FIG. 16, the attachment structure 28 a may beremoved from the mounting bar 26 a.

In one embodiment, to move the mount structure 18 a to the foldedposition from the extended position, the mount structure 18 a may berotated in the direction of B (see FIG. 17A) along the pin 230 until themount structure 18 a is in the position shown in FIG. 18A. In oneembodiment, the direction that the mount structure 18 a extends when themount structure 18 a is in the folded position (see FIG. 18A) isgenerally perpendicular to the direction in which the mount structure 18a extends when the mount structure 18 a is in the extended position (seeFIG. 17A). When the mount structure 18 a is in the folded position, thefront surface 226 of the receiving portion 216 of the attachmentstructure 28 a prevents further movement of the mount structure 28 a inthe direction B. To move the mount structure 18 a to the extendedposition from the folded position, the mount structure 18 a may berotated in the direction opposite of B along the pin 230 until the mountstructure 18 a is in the position shown in FIG. 17A. The extensionportion 236 may prevent the further rotation of the mount structure 18 ain the direction opposite of B. Thus, the extension portion 236 may helpposition the mount structure 28 a in the extended position.

FIG. 20A shows the rear latching structure 203 of the apparatus 10 inaccordance with an embodiment. The rear latching structure 203 includesthe rear latch bar 204 and the latch member 206. The rear latch member206 is constructed and arranged to be rotatable along point 238 torotate the latch bar 204 between an unlatched position (see FIG. 20A)and a latched position (see FIG. 20B). Thus, when the latch member 206is rotated, the latch bar 204 is also rotated. When the latch structure203 is in the unlatched position, the containers 113, 115, and/or 117are permitted to be moved forward in the direction of A (see FIG. 14).When the latch structure 203 is in the latched position, the containers113, 115, and/or 117 are prevented from being moved forward in thedirection of A. In other words, the latch structure 203 in the latchedposition locks the containers 113, 115, and 117 to the chassis 17 a.

As shown in FIG. 20A, the latch member 206 may include an opening 244. Alocking structure 246 may be attached to the chassis 17 a, and anopening 248 may be provided in the locking structure 246. In oneembodiment, the opening 244 of the latch member 206 is constructed andarranged to be aligned with the opening 248 of the locking structure 246when the latch member 206 is in the latched position, as shown in FIG.20B. A padlock, combination lock, a rod, or other locking mechanisms orstructures may be inserted into the aligned openings 248 and 244 to lockthe latch structure 203 in the latched position, thereby preventingremoval of the containers 113, 115, 117 from the chassis 17 a.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 20A, the rear latching structure 203includes a retaining portion 240. The retaining portion 240 may begenerally arcuate and may be formed near one end of the latch member206, opposite that of an actuating end 245 of the latch member 206. Theopening 244 may be formed on or near the actuating end 245 of the latchmember 206. In one embodiment, the pivot point 238 may be providedbetween the retaining portion 240 and the actuating end 245. Theretaining portion 240 may be constructed and arranged to be latched witha rear receiving structure of the containers 113, 115, and 117, takingthe form of a rear extension structure 242 in this embodiment. In oneembodiment, the rear extension structure 242 may be generally L-shapedso as to be engageable with the retaining portion 240. Accordingly, whenthe rear extension structure 242 of the container 113, 115, or 117 isengaged with the retaining portion 240 of the rear latching structure203, the rear latching structure 203 is in the latched position and thecontainer 113, 115, or 117 is latched to the latch structure 203. Incontrast, when the rear extension structure 242 of the container 113,115, or 117 is not engaged with the retaining portion 240, the rearlatching structure 203 is in the unlatched position and container 113,115, or 117 is not latched to the latch structure 203.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 20B, the latch bar 204 and the latchmember 206 are integrally formed. It is contemplated that in otherembodiments, the latch bar 204 and the latch member 206 may be separatecomponents that are operatively connected to one another. In theillustrated embodiment, the latch bar 204 has a retaining side 250 and athird side 252 opposite the retaining side 250. A middle side 254 (seeFIG. 20A) may also be provided and may be constructed and arranged toconnect the retaining side 250 and the third side 252. The retainingside 250, the third side 252, and the middle side 254 may form agenerally U-shaped configuration with an interior space 247 and anopening 249 thereto. The retaining side 250 is constructed and arrangedto engage with the rear extension structure 242 of the container 113,115, or 117 when the latch structure 203 is in the latched position (seeFIG. 20B). When the latch structure 203 is in the unlatched position,the opening 247 is forward facing (e.g., in the direction of A of FIG.14, towards the rear extension structure 242 of the container 113, 115,or 117). In such position, the retaining side 250 of the latch bar 204and the retaining portion 240 are not engaged with the rear extensionstructures 242 of the containers 113, 115, or 117. In some embodiments,the retaining side 250 of the latch bar 204 and the retaining portion240 are integrally formed and may be formed from one piece of material.In one embodiment, the retaining portion 240 may be separated from theretaining side 250 of the latch bar 204 by a recess 205, as shown inFIG. 15. In this embodiment, the recess 205 provided between theretaining portion 240 and the retaining side 250 is constructed andarranged to receive a portion of the rear portion 208 of the handlestructure 201.

An embodiment of the rear latch assembly 203 can be seen in more detailin FIG. 26. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the retaining side250 may be provided along the length of the latch bar 204. Thus, thelatch bar 204 may be used to retain a plurality of containers 113, 115,and 117 simultaneously.

As shown in FIG. 27 a, the latch member 206 is connected to the latchbar 204 via a first pin 400. A second pin 402 may be provided on theopposite end of latch bar 204. In some embodiments, the first pin 400and the second pin 402 may either be separate or integral. The first pin400 may be attached to the latch member 206 and the latch bar 204 viawelding, riveting, adhesives, screws, or any other attachmentmechanisms. Similarly, the second pin 402 may be attached to the latchbar 204 via welding, riveting, adhesives, screws, or any otherattachment mechanisms.

As shown in FIG. 27 a, the pin 402 may be received in a portion of thelatch member 206, in a portion of the handle 14 a, and in a portion ofthe latch bar 204. This configuration enables the latch bar 204 and thelatch member 206 to be pivotally retained on the chassis 17 a. FIG. 27 bshows the pin 402 also pivotally retaining the latch bar 204 on thechassis 17 a. The pin 402 is received in another portion of the latchbar 204 and in the rear extending portion 212 of the chassis 17 a.

An operation of latching the containers 113, 115, and/or 117 to thelatch structure 203 in accordance with an embodiment will be describedas follows. The latch structure 203 may initially be in the unlatchedposition, as shown in FIG. 20A. The containers 113, 115, and/or 117 maybe mounted on the mount structures 18 a. Each of the containers 113,115, and/or 117 may have the rear extension structure 242. The user maypush the actuating end 245 of the latch member 206 in thecounterclockwise direction. The latch member 206 may then be rotated inthe counterclockwise direction along the point 238. Accordingly, thelatch bar 204, which is operatively attached to the latch member 206, isalso rotated in the counterclockwise direction. Thus, the retainingportion 240 and the retaining side 250 of the latch bar 204 are rotatedin the counterclockwise direction towards the rear extension structures242 of the containers 113, 115, and/or 117 until the latch structure 203is in the latched position, as shown in FIG. 20B. In such a position,the retaining portion 240 and the retaining side 250 of the latch bar204 are engaged with the rear extension structures 242 of the containers113, 115, and/or 117. Thus, the movement of the containers 113, 22,and/or 117 in the direction of A is prevented. As mentioned above, apadlock or rod may be inserted through the aligned openings 244 and 248to retain the latch structure 203 in the latched position.

To unlatch the latch structure 203, the user may push the actuating end245 of the latch member 136 in the clockwise direction away from thelocking structure 246. The retaining portion 240 and the retaining side250 of the latch bar 204 may thus be disengaged from the rear extensionstructures 242 of the containers 113, 115, and/or 117. The latchstructure 203 may then be in the unlatched position. In such a position,the opening 247 of the latch bar 204 of the latch structure 203 may befacing generally in the direction of A. The containers 113, 115, and/or117 may then be moved in the direction of A to be removed from thechassis 17 a.

It is contemplated that the examples described are not limiting, andother structures or any combination of structures may be used to latchthe containers 113, 115, and/or 117 to the latch bar 204. It is alsocontemplated that the number, location, and configuration of the latchbar(s) 204 may vary.

It is contemplated that the containers 113, 115, and 117 may beconstructed with vertical dimensions having a common denominator asdescribed above with respect to containers 20, 22, and 24. The mountingbar 26 a may also be constructed similarly as mounting bar 26, describedabove. Thus, the containers 113, 115, and 117 may be constructed withvertical dimensions having a common denominator that is dependent on thespacing between the openings 128 a.

FIGS. 21A-21B, 22A-22B, and 23A-23B illustrate various embodiments ofthe containers 113, 115, and 117. As shown in FIGS. 21A-21B, thecontainer 117 may have a lid 258 and a container portion 260. Thecontainer portion may include a left side or wall 262, a right side orwall 264, a front side or wall 266, a rear side or wall 268, and abottom side or wall 270 that define a storage space 270 (see FIG. 21B)for storing items. The lid 258 may be pivotally connected to thecontainer portion 260 and may be moved between a closed positionpreventing access to the storage space 270 and an open positionpermitting access to the storage space 270. The lid 258 can be latchedonto the container portion 260 of the container 117 via latches 272. Thecontainer latches 272 may vary in numbers (there may be one or more) andmay be pivotable latches, buckles, or any other latching mechanism aswould be appreciated by one skilled in the art. The latches 272 (or asingle latch) of the container 117 may comprise latch members 276 thatare constructed and arranged to engage with latch receiving portions 278(see FIG. 21B) located on the lid 258. The latch members 276 may bepulled to disengage from latch engaging portions 278 of the lid 258 sothat the lid 258 may be opened to allow access to the contents of thecontainer 117. In the illustrated embodiment, the lid 258 is providedwith a left side latching structure 263 and a right side latchingstructure 265 constructed and arranged to enable the containers 117 tobe latched directly to other containers (see FIG. 24). The container 117may also be provided with a left side receiving structure 267 and aright side receiving structure 269 (see FIG. 21B) on the containerportion 260. The side receiving structures 267, 269 are constructed andarranged to receive side latches of other containers. The side latches263, 265 and the operation of latching the container 117 directly toother containers will be described in more detail later. It iscontemplated that the number and location of the side latches 263, 265and side receiving structures 267, 269 may vary.

The lid 258 may be pivotally connected to the container portion 260using hinges, pins, screws, fastenings, bolts, or any other connectionmechanism as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art. The lid 258may also be a slide-on lid which is slid on to container portion 260 ora snap-on lid that is snapped on to the container portion 260. It iscontemplated that the methods of mounting the lid 258 on to thecontainer portion 260 may vary and the number of lids 258 may vary. Ahandle 261 may be pivotally attached to the container portion 260 usingpivot pins (not shown), although it is contemplated that otherattachment mechanisms, such as rivets, fasteners, and other attachmentmechanisms known in the art may be used. It is also contemplated thatthe handle 261 may be attached to the lid 258 of the container 117 inother embodiments. It is also contemplated that in some embodiments, thecontainer handle 261 may be fixed such that the container handle 260 maynot be movable from one position to another.

In the illustrated embodiment, the container 117 is provided with theside handles 129 on the left side 262 and the right side 264. Thehandles 129 may be used to releasably connect the container 117 to themount structures 18 a in the same manner as the side handles 98, 100,102 of the containers 20, 22, and 24, which are described above. Thatis, the side handles 129 of the container 117 may be constructed andarranged in a similar manner as the side handles 100 of the smallcontainer 22 described above to enable the container 117 to bereleasably connected to the mount structures 18 a.

In the illustrated embodiment, the storage space 270 of the container117 has a removable tray 280 disposed therein. The removable tray 280 isdivided into a plurality of compartments 282. An upper tray 284 may alsobe provided and may be pivotally attached to the container portion 260via attachment structures 286. The attachment structures 286 may pivotto enable the upper tray 284 to move upwards and to the right (as shownin FIG. 21B) to enable access to the compartments 282 of the removabletray 280. The attachment structures 286 may also pivot to enable theupper tray 284 to be disposed on top of the removable tray 280 so as toprevent access to the compartments 282 thereof.

FIGS. 22A-22B illustrate an embodiment of the container 115. In thisembodiment, the container 115 includes a lid 288 and a handle 290located on the lid 288. The handle 290 may be pivotally attached to thelid 288 using pivot pins (not shown), although it is contemplated thatother attachment mechanisms, such as rivets, fasteners, and otherattachment mechanisms known in the art may be used. The container handle290 may be disposed within a recess (not shown) formed in the lid 288when the handle 290 is not in use and may be pivoted to an uprightposition when the handle 290 is in use. It is contemplated that in someembodiments, the container handle 290 may be fixed such that thecontainer handle 290 may not be movable from one position to another.

As shown in FIG. 22A, the lid 288 may be pivotally connected to acontainer portion 292. The lid 288 can be latched onto the containerportion 292 of the container 115 via latches 294. The container latches294 may vary in numbers (there may be one or more) and may be pivotablelatches, buckles, or any other latching mechanism as would beappreciated by one skilled in the art. The lid 288 may be pivotallyconnected to the container portion 292 using hinges, pins, screws,fastenings, bolts, or any other connection mechanism as would beappreciated by one skilled in the art. The lid 288 may also be aslide-on lid which is slid on to container portion 162 or a snap-on lidthat is snapped on to the container portion 292. It is contemplated thatthe methods of mounting the lid 288 on to the container portion 292 mayvary and the number of lids 288 may vary. The container portion 292 mayinclude two opposing side walls or sides 296, 298, a front wall or side300, a rear wall or side 302, and a bottom wall or side 304 defining aninterior space 306 (see FIG. 12 b). The side handles 127 may be used toreleasably connect the container 115 to the mount structures 18 a in thesame manner as the side handles 98, 100, 102 of the containers 20, 22,and 24 described above. That is, the side handles 127 of the container115 may be constructed and arranged in a similar manner as the sidehandles 100 of the small container 22 described above with respect toFIGS. 3-4 to enable the container 115 to be releasably connected to themount structures 18 a. The container 115 may also be provided with aleft side latching structure 287 and a right side latching structure 289constructed and arranged to enable the container 115 to be latcheddirectly to other containers (see FIG. 24). The container 115 may alsobe provided with a left side receiving structure 291 and a right sidereceiving structure 293 (see FIG. 22B) on the container portion 292. Theside receiving structures 291, 293 are constructed and arranged toreceive side latches of other containers. The side latches 287, 289 andthe operation of latching the container 115 directly to other containerswill be described in more detail later. It is contemplated that thenumber and location of the side latches 287, 289 and side receivingstructures 291, 293 may vary.

The latches 294 (or a single latch) of the container 115 may compriselatch members 308 that are constructed and arranged to engage with latchreceiving portions 310 (see FIG. 22B) located on the lid 288. The latchmembers 308 may be pulled to disengage from latch engaging portions ofthe lid 288 so that the lid 288 may be opened to allow access to thecontents of the container 115.

As shown in FIG. 22B, a removable tray 312 having a handle 314 may becarried within the container 115. The removable tray 312 may be heldwithin the interior space 306 of the container 115 and may optionally beremoved therefrom to be carried separately. An inner container 316 witha plurality of partitions 318 may also be held in the container 115. Theinner container 316 with partitions 318 may be constructed and arrangedto hold various kinds of screwdrivers and other tools. In oneembodiment, the partitions 318 may be provided with rubber or othermemory retention material that facilitates the positioning and retentionof screwdrivers and/or other tools in the partitions 318. The removabletray 312 and the inner container 316 may be made of plastic, wood,metal, or other materials known in the art, or combinations thereof.

FIGS. 23A-23B show an embodiment of the first container 113. In thisembodiment, the container 113 may have a similar configuration ascontainer 115 described with respect to FIGS. 22A-22B. However, thecontainer 113 may be larger than the container 115. For example, thecontainer 113 may include a lid 320 latched to a container portion 322with latches 324. A handle 326 may be provided on the lid 320. In thisembodiment, a left side latch 325 and a right side latch 327 areprovided on the container 113 and are constructed and arranged to enablethe container 113 to be latched directly to other containers (see FIG.24). The container 113 may also be provided with a left side receivingstructure 329 and a right side receiving structure 331 (see FIG. 23B) onthe container portion 322. The side receiving structures 329, 331 areconstructed and arranged to receive side latches of other containers.The side latches 325, 327 and the operation of latching the container113 directly to other containers will be described in more detail later.It is contemplated that the number and location of the side latches 325,327 and the side receiving structures 329, 331 may vary.

The container portion 322 may include two opposing side walls 326, 328,a front wall 330, a back wall 332, and a bottom wall 334 defining aninterior space 335 (see FIG. 23B) for storing items. As shown in FIG.23B, a removable tray 336 may be provided in the interior space 335. Aninner container 338 with partitions 340 may also be provided in theinterior space 335. The removable tray 336 and the inner container 338may have similar configurations as the removable tray 312 and the innercontainer 316 of the container 115 shown in FIGS. 22A-22B. The container113 may also be provided with the side handles 125 that may be used toreleasably connect the container 113 to the mount structures 18 a in thesame manner as the side handles 98, 100, 102 of the containers 20, 22,and 24 described above. That is, the side handles 125 of the container115 may be constructed and arranged in a similar manner as the sidehandles 100 of the container 22 described above with respect to FIGS.3-4 to enable the container 113 to be releasably connected to the mountstructures 18 a.

In the embodiment of FIG. 24, the side latches 325 (obstructed from viewin this embodiment) and side latch 327 can be moved between a latchedposition wherein the container 115 is prevented from being removed fromthe container 113 and an unlatched position wherein the container 115 ispermitted to be removed from the container 113. Similarly, the sidelatch 287 (obstructed from view in this embodiment) and side latch 289can be moved between a latched position wherein the container 117 isprevented from being removed from container 115 and an unlatchedposition wherein the container 117 is permitted to be removed from thecontainer 115. In this embodiment, for the container 115 to be removablefrom container 113, both side latches 327, 329 should be in theunlatched position. For the container 117 to be removable from container115, both side latches 325, 327 should be in the unlatched position. Thelatching of the containers 113, 115, and 117 shown in this embodiment isnot intended to be limiting. For example, any combination and number ofcontainers 113, 115, and 117 may be latched, and the containers 113,115, and 117 may be latched in any order and are not limited to theconfiguration shown in FIG. 24.

The configuration and operation of the side latch 327 of the container113 will be described with respect to FIGS. 25A-25C. It is contemplatedthat the side latches 263, 265 of the container 117, the side latches287, 289 of the container 115, and the side latch 325 of the container113 may have similar configurations as the side latch 327 and mayoperate in a similar manner.

As shown in FIG. 25A, the latch 327 may include a middle portion 348 andtwo upper portions 350, 352 extending from the middle portion 348. Theupper portions 350, 352 may facilitate the latching and unlatching ofthe latch structure 327. Grooves may be provided on the upper portions350, 352 to facilitate the grasping of the upper portions 350, 352. Anelongated protrusion 354 may be provided on the middle portion 348. Theelongated protrusion 354 may have an elongated groove 353 disposedunderneath thereof In the illustrated embodiment, the elongatedprotrusion 354 is provided on the middle portion 348 near the upperportions 350, 352. The elongated protrusion 354 may be constructed andarranged to engage with the right side receiving structure 293 of thecontainer 115. The container 113 may include a depression 349 formed onthe lid 320. A bottom surface 351 may be formed in the depression 351.In one embodiment, the side latch structure 327 may be pivotallyconnected to the lid 320 near or in the depression 351. When the sidelatch structure 327 is not being used to latch container 113 to anothercontainer, the side latch structure 327 may be pivoted to a storedposition (see FIG. 23A) in the depression 349 wherein the elongatedprotrusion 354 is facing or disposed against the bottom surface 351. Itis contemplated that a biasing member, such as a spring, may be used tobias the side latch structure 327 towards the depression 349, or in anyposition.

In this embodiment, the right side receiving structure 293 is anelongated ridge provided in a depression 356 formed near the right wall298 of the container 115. The right side receiving structure 293 mayextend upwards from a bottom surface 358 of the depression 356. In oneembodiment, the bottom surface 358 of the depression may be situatedlower than the bottom wall 304 of the container 115. The containers 117and 113 may also have a similar configuration. The side latch 327 mayoptionally be provided with a second elongated protrusion 360 disposedbeneath the elongated protrusion 354.

The latch 327 of container 113 may be latched to the side receivingstructure 293 of container 115 to latch container 113 and 115 inaccordance with an embodiment as follows. Before the container 115 isstacked on container 113, the side latch 327 may be pivoted away fromthe stored position (see FIG. 23A) wherein the side latch 327 isdisposed in the depression 349 to a position outside of the depression349 (see FIG. 25A). As shown in FIG. 20 a, the container 115 may then bestacked on top of container 113 such that the side latch 327 ofcontainer 113 is disposed beneath the side receiving structure 293 ofcontainer 115. The latch structure 327 may be pivoted upwards in thecounterclockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 25B. The elongatedprotrusion 354 of the side latch 327 may be pushed against the sidereceiving structure 293 until the side receiving structure 293 isdisposed in the groove 353 underneath the elongated protrusion 353 and aportion of the elongated protrusion 353 is disposed to the left of theside receiving structure 293, as shown in FIG. 25C. The elongatedprotrusion 354 and the side receiving structure 293 may have resilientproperties that enable the elongated protrusion 354 to move over theside receiving structure 293 so that the side receiving structure 293may be received in the groove 353. In this position, the latch 327 andthe side receiving structure 293 are in the latched position thatprevents container 115 from being removed from container 113.

To unlatch the side latch 327 from the side receiving structure 293, theuser may pull on the upper portions 305, 352 of the latch 327 to movethe latch 327 downward in the clockwise direction. The resilientproperties of the elongated protrusion 354 and the side receivingstructure 293 enables the side receiving structure 293 to move out ofthe groove 354 when sufficient force has been applied. The side latch327 may then be pivoted downwards to the position shown in FIG. 25A sothat the container 115 may be unlatched and removed from container 113.As mentioned above, for container 115 to be removed from container 113,the side latch 325 (see FIG. 23A) of container 113 should also beunlatched from the side receiving structure 291 of container 115. Asalso mentioned above, the side latches 263, 265 of the container 117,the side latches 287, 289 of the container 115, and the side latch 325of the container 113 may have similar configurations as the side latch327 and may operate in a similar manner. It should be appreciated thatthe configuration, location, and number of side latches and sidereceiving structures may vary in other embodiments.

Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose ofillustration based on what is currently considered to be the mostpractical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that suchdetail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limitedto the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to covermodifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit andscope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood thatthe present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one ormore features of any embodiment may be combined with one or morefeatures of any other embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for transporting articles betweenworking locations, comprising: one or more rotatable ground engagingwheels mounted towards the bottom of the apparatus for rotation about anaxis to provide rolling support for the apparatus; a manually engageablepulling handle, the pulling handle and the one or more ground engagingwheels being arranged to enable a user to manually pull the pullinghandle generally rearwardly so as to tilt the apparatus rearwardly to atilted rolling movement position, thereby enabling the user to roll theapparatus to a desired location by pushing or pulling the pulling handlein a desired direction; a frame; one or more mount structures adjustablyconnected to the frame; and a plurality of containers releasablyconnected to the one or more mount structures.
 2. The apparatus of claim1, wherein at least one of the containers is of a differentconfiguration from another one of the containers.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of containers comprise one or morecoupling elements, which provide releasable connections with the one ormore mount structures.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one ormore coupling elements are formed as part of respective handles on atleast one of the plurality of containers.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the apparatus comprises a support structure providing a groundengaging surface, the ground engaging surface being located forwardly ofsaid one or more rotatable ground engaging wheels and being constructedand arranged to engage the ground when the apparatus is in an uprightposition.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more mountstructures are rotatable on the frame between a folded position and anextended position.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or morecoupling elements comprise a latch mechanism to latch the containers tothe one or more mount structures.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, whereineach of the plurality of containers comprise side handles, the sidehandles comprising the latch mechanism to latch the containers to theone or more mount structures.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theapparatus further comprises one or more attachment structures to connectthe one or more mount structure to the frame.
 10. The apparatus of claim9, wherein the attachment structures enable the one or more mountstructures to be adjusted on the frame.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9,wherein the attachment structures enable the one or more mountstructures to be removed from the frame.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein at least one of the containers comprises a container portion, adrawer housing portion that is slideable relative to the containerportion, and a drawer portion that is slideable relative to the drawerhousing portion.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ofthe containers comprises a drawer portion and a container portion, thedrawer portion having an upwardly facing opening, and the drawer portionbeing movable to an open position wherein access to contents of thedrawer portion is permitted when the container is connected to the oneor more mount structures.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein thedrawer portion is slideable relative to the container portion between anopen position to permit access to the contents of the drawer portionthrough the upwardly facing opening and a closed position to preventaccess to the contents of the drawer portion through the upwardly facingopening.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a front portion of thedrawer is pivotally movable to allow access to the contents of thedrawer.
 16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein in the closed position,the upwardly facing opening of the drawer portion is disposed beneaththe container portion.
 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at leastone of the plurality of containers is a toolbox.
 18. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the pulling handle is joined to the frame.
 19. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of containerscomprises latches constructed and arranged to latch the one of theplurality of containers directly to another one of the plurality ofcontainers.
 20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises arear latching assembly constructed and arranged to latch the pluralityof containers to the frame so as to prevent the removal of the pluralityof containers therefrom.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the rearlatching assembly comprises a pivotable latch bar.
 22. The apparatus ofclaim 21, wherein one of the plurality of containers comprises areceiving structure constructed and arranged to receive at least aportion of the latch bar.
 23. An apparatus for transporting articlesbetween working locations, comprising: one or more rotatable groundengaging wheels mounted towards the bottom of the apparatus for rotationabout an axis to provide rolling support for the apparatus; a manuallyengageable pulling handle, the pulling handle and the one or more groundengaging wheels being arranged to enable a user to manually pull thepulling handle generally rearwardly so as to tilt the apparatusrearwardly to a tilted rolling movement position, thereby enabling theuser to roll the apparatus to a desired location by pushing or pullingthe pulling handle in a desired direction; a frame; and a plurality ofcontainers releasably connected to the frame, wherein each of thecontainers is independently mounted on the frame to enable removal ofone of the containers without removal of any of the other containers.24. The apparatus of claim 23, each of the containers is independentlymounted on the frame via one or more mount structures connected to theframe.
 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the one or more mountstructures are adjustable on the frame.
 26. The apparatus of claim 23,wherein the plurality of containers are releasably connected to the oneor more mount structures such that each of the plurality of containersare spaced apart from one another.